TUGS BOWMAN AND MAUDE L TOTALLY DESTROYED BY FIRE
While Lying in Harbor at Vail's Point -Loss to Owner, Capt Dunn Will Be $5000
Was Taking Bowman to Midland for Repairs
The two tugs, Bowman and the Maude L owned by Capt. George Dunn, were both totally destroyed by fire at Vail's Point about two-thirty yesterday morning. The two boats are an entire loss although they are partially covered by insurance. Capt Dunn's loss outside of the insurance will be about $5000. He was taking the tug Bowman to Midland to undergo some repairs, and finding he could not make the Christian Islands before dark, decided to tie up at Vail's Point until the strong gale that was blowing bad died down. The two tugs were tied side by side and were lying at anchor, the Maude L. next the dock.
About 1 :30 in the morning, the captain arose and as the wind had gone down and the sky was clear he decided to pullout again, and started to fire up , blew out the flues, and in punching them some of the soot was pushed back into the combustion chamber where it caught fire and shot out, setting fire to the engine room. Captain Dunn then tried to shut off the steam but he had to go to the other side of the boat to do this and by the time he did so the tug was full of fire.
The Captain's son Bruce was asleep down in the cabin and the captain rushed down and awakened him. By the time he got him up the fire had reached the Bowman and both tugs y.'ere rapidly burning. The captain and his son had barely time to get into their yawl and escape with their lives from the burning vessels. Not an article of any kind was saved. Had the captain had more help, he doubtless could have saved one of the tugs, but being all alone he was handicapped. The darkness too made it more difficult to see what he was doing.
Both boats were completely destroyed. The Maude L. burned to the water's edge and sank where she lay and what was left of the Bowman drifted over to the beach. Capt Dunn was taking the Bowman to Midland to have a new boiler put in and to have the bottom overhauled and some other repairs made. He and his son reached Owen Sound yesterday afternoon, returning in the dingy from Vail's Point.
Owen Sound Sun
December 14,1915
[Courtesy Bill Hester]

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